There is a strong tradition of therapy development and evaluation in the field of psychological interventions for chronic pain. However, despite this research production, the effects of treatments remain uncertain, and treatment development has stalled. This review summarises the current evidence but focusses on promising areas for improvement. Advancing psychological therapies for chronic pain will come from a radical re-imagining of the content, delivery, place, and control of therapy. The next generation of therapeutic interventions will also need alternative methods of measurement and evaluation, and options are discussed.
Keywords: chronic pain; embodied pain; non-pharmacological interventions; psychological therapies.